Chrysanthemum plant named Golden Grace

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named Golden Grace particularly characterized by its flat capitulum form; daisy capitulum type; golden yellow ray floret color; diameter across face of capitulum of 44 to 57 mm when fully opened; branching pattern is spreading and prolific, with 7 to 8 breaks after pinch when grown outside under natural daylength in fall flowerings, and 7 breaks after pinch when grown in 10 cm pots for spring flowerings; natural season flower date of September 1 when planting rooted cuttings on June 25 in Salinas, Calif., and September 30 to October 2 when planting rooted cuttings June 15 in Hightstown, N.J.; flowering response of 50 to 54 days after rooting in no light/no shade programs in spring; plant height of 33 cm when grown in fall under natural daylength with no growth regulators, and 18 cm when grown in 10 cm pots in spring with 1 application of 2500 ppm B-9 SP; and durable, uniform performance.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, andreferred to by the cultivar name Golden Grace.

Golden Grace, identified as 83-628B01, is a product of a mutationinduction program. The new cultivar was discovered and selected byCornelis P. VandenBerg on Nov. 13, 1989, in a controlled environment inSalinas, Calif. as one flowering plant within a flowering blockestablished as rooted cuttings from stock plants which had been exposedas unrooted cuttings to an X-ray source of 1750 rads in Fort Myers, Fla.on May 25, 1989. The irradiated parent cultivar was the cultivaridentified as Grace, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,642, anddescribed as a flat daisy spray pot mum and garden mum with anorange-bronze ray floret color; diameter across face of capitulum of 44to 57 mm when fully opened; spreading and prolific branching pattern,with 7 to 9 branches after pinch; average natural season flower date ofAugust 26 to 31 in Salinas, Calif. and September 22 to 27 in Hightstown,N.J.; photoperiodic flowering response in no light/no shade programs inspring of 49 to 52 days; and durable, uniform performance. The abovedescription of Grace has a wider range of values and measurements thandisclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,642 for Grace, based on continuedflower trials after the application for Grace was filed.

The irradiation program resulting in Golden Grace had as its primaryobjective the expansion of color ranges of the parent cultivar Grace.The irradiation program comprised irradiating cuttings of the parentcultivar at irradiation levels of 1500, 1750 and 2000 rads. A total of1435 cuttings harvested from a total of 225 irradiated plants wereplanted on Sep. 11, Sep. 4 and Aug. 21, 1989, respectively. Of these, 14initial selections were made, which selections were then revegetated andreflowered. Four consecutive flowerings resulted in discarding 12 of theoriginal 14 selections on Aug. 29, 1990. Two selections, identified asDark Grace (8357) and Golden Grace (8391) were maintained as PIs(Possible Introductions) and trialed for one year, ultimately resultingin discarding Dark Grace on Sep. 23, 1991, and the decision to introduceGolden Grace.

The first act of asexual reproduction of Golden Grace was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection inDecember 1989 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., bytechnicians working under supervision of Cornelis P. VandenBerg.

Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successiveplantings has shown that the unique combination of characteristics asherein disclosed for Golden Grace are firmly fixed and are retainedthrough successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Golden Grace has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength, without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plantsgrown in controlled open areas in Salinas, Calif., and in Hightstown,N.J. Rooted cuttings were established in soil and maintained outdoorsunder the natural temperature and daylength prevailing during Junethrough October. Spring flowerings were conducted in Salinas, Calif.under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used incommercial practice for small pot spring garden mum production.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of Golden Grace, which, in combination,distinguish this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar.

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Daisy capitulum type.

3. Golden yellow ray floret color.

4. Diameter across face of capitulum of 44 to 57 mm when fully opened.

5. Branching pattern is spreading and prolific, with 7 to 8 breaks afterpinch when grown outside under natural daylength in fall flowerings, and7 breaks after pinch when grown in 10 cm pots for spring flowerings.

6. Natural season flower date of September 1 when planting rootedcuttings on June 25 in Salinas, Calif., and September 30 to October 2when planting rooted cuttings June 15 in Hightstown, N.J.

7. Flowering response of 50 to 54 days after rooting in no light/noshade programs in spring.

8. Plant height of 33 cm when grown in fall under natural daylength withno growth regulators, and 18 cm when grown in 10 cm pots in spring with1 application of 2500 ppm B-9 SP.

9. Durable, uniform performance.

The accompanying photographic drawing is a color photograph of GoldenGrace grown as a pinched pot mum and garden mum grown under controlledgreenhouse conditions in Salinas, Calif., with the colors being asnearly true as possible with illustrations of this type.

Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar incomparison to Golden Grace is the parent cultivar Grace. Most traits ofGolden Grace are similar to those of Grace, except for the ray floretcolor and the flowering response. The ray floret color of Golden Graceis golden yellow, while the ray floret color of Grace is orange-bronze.In most flowering trials, Golden Grace has been slower in floweringresponse by 2 to 8 days when compared with Grace.

In the following description color references are made to the RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determined onplant material grown as a pinched pot mum and garden mum undercontrolled greenhouse conditions in Salinas, Calif. on Oct. 23, 1992.

Classification:

Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora cv Golden Grace.

Commercial.--Flat daisy spray pot mum and garden mum.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat.

Type.--Daisy.

Diameter across face.--44 to 57 mm when fully opened.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Goldenyellow.

Color (upper surface).--12A.

Color (under surface).--9A.

Shape.--Flat, straight, oblong. Older ray florets convex.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color (mature).--14B.

Color (immature).--Closest to 144B.

D. Reproductivity organs:

Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; moderate pollen.

Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets.

PLANT

A. General appearance:

Height.--33 cm when grown in fall under natural daylength with no growthregulators, and 18 cm when grown in 10 cm pots in spring with 1application of 2500 ppm B-9 SP.

Branching pattern.--Spreading and prolific, with 7 to 8 breaks afterpinch when grown outside under natural daylength in fall flowerings, and7 breaks after pinch when grown in 10 cm pots for spring flowerings.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--147A.

Color (under surface).--147B.

Shape.--Moderately lobed.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named Golden Grace,as described and illustrated.